It’s no secret that the horror genre isn’t often recognized at the Academy Awards, but nights like last night go a long way in changing those perceptions of the genre somehow being lesser than other types of movies. Amy Madigan (Weapons) and Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) took home Oscars, making them two of just eight actors to ever win Oscars for horror films.
But plenty of horror movie performances over the years have gone completely unnoticed by the Academy. Sarah Paulson gave a shout-out to one of them while chatting with Variety in the wake of her friend Amy Madigan’s win last night for her performance in Weapons.
Sarah Paulson told the outlet after Madigan’s win, “For me as a person, selfishly, who has worked a lot in that genre… and who thinks James McAvoy’s performance in Split was one of the great performances of all time that should’ve been in the conversation…”
Paulson continued, “… the idea that that genre is very rarely celebrated or acknowledged… to see Amy have that success, and Sinners as well… it’s really a very special, special night.”
It was ten years ago that James McAvoy played Kevin Wendell Crumb in M. Night Shyamalan’s Split, which operated as a stealth sequel to Unbreakable. McAvoy’s character suffers from dissociative identity disorder, with his performance toggling between various personalities. Those personalities include a woman and even a child, as well as the monstrous “The Beast.”
McAvoy’s performance in Split was indeed one of the most memorable in 2017, but horror films were perhaps a bit less likely to get nominated back then than they are today. However, McAvoy was nominated for awards that year including the MTV Movie Award for Best Actor, as well as the Teen Choice Award for Best Movie Villain. He didn’t end up winning either award.
Do you agree with Sarah Paulson that James McAvoy deserved an Oscar nomination for his multi-faceted performance in Shyamalan’s Split? Comment down below and let us know.
Sarah Paulson on Amy Madigan’s #Oscar win and horror finally getting more recognition: “The genre is very rarely honored and celebrated” pic.twitter.com/0b8R2nIfxE
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
